A woman suspected of being an illegal immigrant said Friday that her arm was broken when jail officials from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office tried to force her to sign a document volunteering to be sent to Mexico.

Maria del Carmen Garcia Martinez, 46, said six jail officials threw her to the floor, held her down with their feet, stomped on her and twisted her left arm behind her back after she refused to sign the document.

The accusations come as the U.S. Justice Department is investigating the Sheriff's Office for suspected civil-rights abuses and the House Judiciary Committee is preparing to hold investigative hearings into racial-profiling allegations against deputies enforcing immigration laws.

ICE deals with immigration matters, not local law enforcement. ICE can request to place a hold on the suspect until they are interviewed. After the interview then it is determined whether they will be sent back. I've never heard of a form one can sign requesting to be sent back.

It's called "voluntary departure." By signing, one promises ICE/USCIS/DHS that s/he will leave the country voluntarily (without being forcefully kicked out) within a certain time. This counts like a deportation on one's immigration records.

This is what we have degenerated to. A police force of thugs and right wing red necks. I know, if true, this is a minority of our police force; but if it IS true, these pigs needs to be held accountable and taken off the force.

Our country is going nuts. Are 'beck' and 'dobbs' contagious?

I plan to move back to the US for a while with my Mexican wife, who has her legal visa in hand. And if something like this were ever to happen to her, I would be sure that the police department would suffer for even one MINOR action against her civil rights.

You took the words right out of my mouth. This whole culture
has gone utterly fascist; it is terrifying.
In specific, Sheriff Arpaio seems to be getting increasingly
severe as well. It would be one thing if it were just him and
his local county in Arizona; but it seems that so much of the
rest of the "heartland" is heading further and
further right everyday, at a near-breakneck pace.
It does not bode well.

I had a nice one of him speaking at the UN that I wanted. Unfortunately, I do not have the spare money to make a donation to DU. Oh, well; he still gets a place of honor in my sig. If that riles up a few gusanos, I can live with that.

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